Hit Or Miss Inn

Let me start by saying that I had every intention of giving this pub a good review. Sadly, it's not going to get one.

The Hit Or Miss is situated in the rural village of Penn Street, roughly midway between Beaconsfield and Amersham in Buckinghamshire, reached by hedgerow-fringed lanes. The village boasts not just one but two cricket fields with a country pub next to each, both of which are currently owned by the same people. Of these, the Hit Or Miss is considered to be the most 'foodie'. I've been there perhaps a dozen times over the last few years, though not for while, so I dragged my somewhat startled mother there for a Bank Holiday lunch today with a view to reviewing it for Trusted Places.

So what went wrong?

STRIKE ONE: We were the only table of two to be seated away from the cosy tables and roaring log fire, instead placed in the newer dining area - a comparatively soulless room with no heating, on what was an unseasonably cold and wet day. For warmth, my jacket stayed firmly on - this despite all the woolies I was wearing. Meanwhile the other tables filled with large parties of diners, including no less than eight screaming under-fives on one table alone. We could hardly hear ourselves think, let alone talk.

STRIKE TWO: Having asked our waitress what draft cider was available, I somehow ended up with one of these new-fangled syrupy bottled ciders. While I didn't make a fuss, I did reject the pint glass full of ice it came with. Ugh!

STRIKE THREE: We both ordered the minted lamb burger with grilled rosemary focaccia and a red onion relish. This is something I remember enjoying on a previous visit, but today I found the burger rather watery and the relish too vinegary. My side of chips was excellently hot and crispy, but my mother's "salad" consisted almost entirely of coleslaw and potato salad. Admittedly she didn't mind it, but I myself would have found all that mayonnaise overwhelming.

STRIKE FOUR: The prices. Or perhaps I should say "AAAAAAARGH, the PRICES!" If you fancy a meat or fish main course, you won't find anything under a tenner here: only the vegetarian options are less. At the top of the price range you will find something along the lines of rosemary-crusted rack of lamb at a whopping 17.95. (Correct as of May 2007.)

That said, the Hit Or Miss is always busy. It's also pleasantly situated, especially on a hot summer's day with the gentle pock of leather on willow as a backdrop. They also sometimes have live music. Perhaps it's just the bad table that's inclined me to be critical. But the fact is, on this occasion, we couldn't leave fast enough and I'll not be going back any time soon.